Shared with pat at Selkirk Manor to celebrate St. Valentine's day. Paired with boiled and then chilled lobster tail, followed by baked salmon. I am impressed with the longevity of this wine which is now 7 years past the vintage. Still fresh and lively. Remains so in the glass for 30 minutes. Straw color. Multiple tiny bubbles. Mostly citrus and acid. Not much yeast or oak. I think that is typical for this vintage. Very enjoyable. Might pair better with oysters. I have no hesitancy about squirreling away current vintage for many years of enjoyment in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Yeasty, full nose, med complexity; slightly tart, bitter; med finish. Decent for a QPR but there are better choices and it wasn't particularly interesting. A pass for me... would not buy at about $20. 87-88
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a solid sparkler with an excellent QPR. There are very strong apple notes. My only issue with this wine is the finish, which is fairly yeasty with a tad of sour apple. I prefer a light, dry finish that practically vanishes from the palate, like many Champagnes. Overall, a good effort. But you can tell this is not Le Reve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very pleasant aromas of green apple and toast. Very smooth on the palate. A little citrus and more green apple come through on the crisp finish. Lively acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
can't believe this is the first time that i am drinking this vintage of this wine. served at thanksgiving dinner at selkirk manor. shared with pat, ellen, giulio, donna, frankie and grandpa pomponio. light yellow color. lively small bubbles. fragrant nose. not as full on the palate as other vintages of this wine have been. enjoyable, none the less. nice mix of vanilla, yeast and citrus. not yet tired, but perhaps getting ready for slumber. still want to pick up a few more bottles before they are all gone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Strawberry blonde with medium-small bubbles. Yeasty froth and lemon-lime acidity with wet pavement to follow. Nice before dinner. At 20 bucks, a reasonable QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not too much to get excited about. Some yeasty tastes, some sweetish lemon cream. Finish seemed a bit cloying. Enjoyable, but not more so than a NV Cava.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Classy elegant domestic bubbly with a pretty floral & yeasty nose and lovely citrus / stoney flavors. Nice mouthfeel and a little smoother than most. Probably worth the $26 I paid but seems high for CA sparklers when you can buy Roederer and Gloria Ferrer for between $15 - $18 on regular basis. I do really like this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aromas of brown sugar, citrus with some yeast. On the palette yeast, lemon peel, lime, and some spice on the end. Medium to long finish. Delicious, but the bubbles seemed short lived. Lack of Champagne flutes may have been a contributing factor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not ultra-dry, but a good brut. Closer in feel to Champagne than most CA sparkling wines, there's still a freshness and fruit-forward style that speaks to California. An unusual pear component instead of the more expected green apple. Very enjoyable and a bargain if under $20.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bread yeast, honey, and stone. Great tight bubbles, yeasty, slight citrus, and great length. Excellent finish for bubbles. More masculine for bubbles. Duh, it's a Brut. :-)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Shows real depth of flavor after this warms up a bit. Aromas and flavors of crisp citrus fruit and light bread yeast. Decent acidity with a lively finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very light on the nose with apple and minerals. On the palate chalk, minerals, spice and lemon. Heavy on the minerals and spices which offers an unbalanced effort. Short finish. Compared to the 05 and 06 a great disappointment and not recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting at Domaine Carneros (Domaine Carneros, Napa California): Very light straw color with active stream of tiny bubbles and sweet bread dough, citrus and red fruit aromas. On the palate light bodied, dry, and crisp with moderately soft mousse, and tart cherry, apple and citrus peel flavors. Medium finish.
Wine Geek Stuff: 60% Pinot Noir/40% Chardonnay. 12.95% ABV. Aged 3 years in the bottle on lees. Vegan.
http://enofylz.wordpress.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose is restrained, yielding only flat notes of apple, pear, croissant, and clove. The palate opens with ripe orchard fruit and honeydew melon, later melding with mid-palate of yeast and hay. The finish is short and relatively uninteresting, showing only candied lemon. The wine is refreshing, made in a crisp style, but also suffers from lack of power and weight on the palate. The effervescence quickly dissipates and therefore subtracts form the experience. This is a solid but simple wine, that neither leaves excitement or disappointment after the bottle is finished. R&M 83
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clear, lite and noticeable foam in the glass. Wet stone, flowers and pepper on the nose. Secondary citrus and Fuji apple. Same on the palate with driven herbacceousness. Nice sparkler.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/14/2018 - IlonaN wrote: 90 Points
Toasty and rich on thepalate, held up surprisingly well and evolved nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2014 - Le Monty wrote:
Could use a little more oomph in the mid-palate, but pretty good considering it was less than $25
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2014 - mwneil Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice sparkling wine; big flavor with nice medium body; dry finish; drank with lobster; would drink again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2014 - dkstar1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pretty darn good domestic bubbly, as good as any champagne in the $40 range. So basically you get more for your money with this one.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/14/2014 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
Shared with pat at Selkirk Manor to celebrate St. Valentine's day. Paired with boiled and then chilled lobster tail, followed by baked salmon. I am impressed with the longevity of this wine which is now 7 years past the vintage. Still fresh and lively. Remains so in the glass for 30 minutes. Straw color. Multiple tiny bubbles. Mostly citrus and acid. Not much yeast or oak. I think that is typical for this vintage. Very enjoyable. Might pair better with oysters. I have no hesitancy about squirreling away current vintage for many years of enjoyment in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 87 Points
Richer, yeasty; fairly intense on early palate, but pales in midpalate; short finish. Not that interesting. 86-88
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2013 - bguiley Likes this wine: 90 Points
an extremely enjoyable wine for a weeknight dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2013 - aagrawal wrote: 88 Points
Yeasty, full nose, med complexity; slightly tart, bitter; med finish. Decent for a QPR but there are better choices and it wasn't particularly interesting. A pass for me... would not buy at about $20. 87-88
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2013 - George Lopez Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a solid sparkler with an excellent QPR. There are very strong apple notes. My only issue with this wine is the finish, which is fairly yeasty with a tad of sour apple. I prefer a light, dry finish that practically vanishes from the palate, like many Champagnes. Overall, a good effort. But you can tell this is not Le Reve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2013 - jviz wrote: 90 Points
Creamy, buttery flavors are apparent in this unique champagne -- would be interested to pair with oysters, caviar etc. a good buy around $20
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2013 - ecola Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very pleasant aromas of green apple and toast. Very smooth on the palate. A little citrus and more green apple come through on the crisp finish. Lively acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2013 - Apark101 wrote: 88 Points
Nice with our brunch at local French place. Not as much yeast or bread in this brut as I would like, but definitely smooth and well rounded.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2013 - AAJR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wow. Pleasantly surprised. Great QPR for 20 bucks.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2012 - sjr4 Likes this wine: 85 Points
Good. But not as good as Dr. Frank.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2012 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
can't believe this is the first time that i am drinking this vintage of this wine. served at thanksgiving dinner at selkirk manor. shared with pat, ellen, giulio, donna, frankie and grandpa pomponio. light yellow color. lively small bubbles. fragrant nose. not as full on the palate as other vintages of this wine have been. enjoyable, none the less. nice mix of vanilla, yeast and citrus. not yet tired, but perhaps getting ready for slumber. still want to pick up a few more bottles before they are all gone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2012 - roasted hill wrote:
Strawberry blonde with medium-small bubbles. Yeasty froth and lemon-lime acidity with wet pavement to follow. Nice before dinner. At 20 bucks, a reasonable QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2012 - kwn70 wrote: 89 Points
Nice acidity, a touch of toast and a hint of minerality.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2012 - DaddyNeedsPow wrote: 86 Points
Not too much to get excited about. Some yeasty tastes, some sweetish lemon cream. Finish seemed a bit cloying. Enjoyable, but not more so than a NV Cava.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2012 - chablis28 wrote: 90 Points
Classy elegant domestic bubbly with a pretty floral & yeasty nose and lovely citrus / stoney flavors. Nice mouthfeel and a little smoother than most. Probably worth the $26 I paid but seems high for CA sparklers when you can buy Roederer and Gloria Ferrer for between $15 - $18 on regular basis. I do really like this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2012 - toast1966 wrote:
Super late-night drunk-fest with Michelle & Brian.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2012 - shaferguy91 wrote: 88 Points
OK
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2012 - ses04e wrote:
Aromas of brown sugar, citrus with some yeast. On the palette yeast, lemon peel, lime, and some spice on the end. Medium to long finish. Delicious, but the bubbles seemed short lived. Lack of Champagne flutes may have been a contributing factor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2012 - mobie wrote:
crisp but not a great finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2012 - GGinSF wrote: 88 Points
Not ultra-dry, but a good brut. Closer in feel to Champagne than most CA sparkling wines, there's still a freshness and fruit-forward style that speaks to California. An unusual pear component instead of the more expected green apple. Very enjoyable and a bargain if under $20.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2012 - Foodievines Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bread yeast, honey, and stone. Great tight bubbles, yeasty, slight citrus, and great length. Excellent finish for bubbles. More masculine for bubbles. Duh, it's a Brut. :-)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 90 Points
Shows real depth of flavor after this warms up a bit. Aromas and flavors of crisp citrus fruit and light bread yeast. Decent acidity with a lively finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2012 - DavidDay wrote: 90 Points
Excellent value
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2012 - bubbachumps wrote: 89 Points
Great QPR at $17.99, my favorite of the big houses in Cali.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2012 - eastover wrote:
Celebratory bottle - GIANTS WIN!!! A little sweet for my taste - but enjoyable following the NY Football Giant's victory in SB XLVI!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 84 Points
Very light on the nose with apple and minerals. On the palate chalk, minerals, spice and lemon. Heavy on the minerals and spices which offers an unbalanced effort. Short finish. Compared to the 05 and 06 a great disappointment and not recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2012 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 87 Points
MLK Weekend with My Parents; 1/14/2012-1/16/2012 (Woodley Park - Washington, DC): Nice creamy pear, butter, and biscuit aromas and flavors. I really liked the acid on this. My ma really enjoyed it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2012 - stevenp22 wrote: 88 Points
Very good sparkling wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2012 - 4th and Zin wrote:
NYE 2011 at Maplewood with Stef, Mom, and Dad
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2011 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nose was somewhat closed. Wonderful texture. Very dry. Paid $20.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2011 - grayfont wrote:
Westwood Country Club Annual Holiday Wine Tasting (Westwood CC, Vienna VA): fine bubbles, yeasty nose, crisp on the palate. Quite nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2011 - alr6767 wrote: 88 Points
Solid as usual. Amazed by the consistency from vintage to vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2011 - Martin Redmond wrote: 90 Points
Tasting at Domaine Carneros (Domaine Carneros, Napa California): Very light straw color with active stream of tiny bubbles and sweet bread dough, citrus and red fruit aromas. On the palate light bodied, dry, and crisp with moderately soft mousse, and tart cherry, apple and citrus peel flavors. Medium finish.
Wine Geek Stuff:
60% Pinot Noir/40% Chardonnay. 12.95% ABV. Aged 3 years in the bottle on lees. Vegan.
http://enofylz.wordpress.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2011 - Rob and Meg wrote: 83 Points
The nose is restrained, yielding only flat notes of apple, pear, croissant, and clove. The palate opens with ripe orchard fruit and honeydew melon, later melding with mid-palate of yeast and hay. The finish is short and relatively uninteresting, showing only candied lemon. The wine is refreshing, made in a crisp style, but also suffers from lack of power and weight on the palate. The effervescence quickly dissipates and therefore subtracts form the experience. This is a solid but simple wine, that neither leaves excitement or disappointment after the bottle is finished. R&M 83
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2011 - christophee Likes this wine: 86 Points
Clear, lite and noticeable foam in the glass. Wet stone, flowers and pepper on the nose. Secondary citrus and Fuji apple. Same on the palate with driven herbacceousness. Nice sparkler.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment